We piled Cecelia's tomato preserves on fresh sourdough bread. Tart strips of lemon are a delicious surprise.

Next door neighbor Cecelia had a bumper crop this year and brought me a jar of her tomato preserves. (Then two more, thank you very much.) Cecelia uses the recipe recall method. No written instructions but a keen memory and a willingness to adjust for taste.

Tomato Preserves
12-15 medium tomatoes, blanched, skinned, and chopped
2-3 lemons, sliced thin
2-3 cups sugar

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine tomatoes, lemons, and sugar. Cook and stir until thickened. Adjust sugar for preferred sweetness level.
2. Cool and pour into sterilized jars. Refrigerated, this conserve keeps for about one year, or until your next crop arrives.

Cecelia suggests serving with meat. I think a spoon is all I need… and maybe another jar or two.

This recipe is a quick fix. Especially if someone else does the fixing. Thank you again, neighbor!

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Fruit smoothies are the easiest and most delicious recipes to make with kids.

You actually don’t need a recipe, just a general idea of the ingredients. I like to use milk, yogurt, and fruit. Use any proportion you like. Frozen fruits are best. They make an extra yummy frosty drink. If you like sweeter drinks add sugar or honey.

I buy lots of fruit when it’s on sale. To freeze bananas: let them ripen (riper = sweeter) then peel, cut into chunks, and freeze. To freeze strawberries, peaches, nectarines, mangoes, blueberries, and most fruits: clean and cut into pieces, then freeze. They’re all great for making smoothies. Use freezer-safe bags and they’ll keep for months. If you can wait that long…

Banana smoothies - frozen bananas, milk, and yogurt.

Vanilla smoothies - milk, yogurt, and more yogurt.

Strawberry smoothies - frozen berries, milk, and yogurt.

For kids of all ages, it’s a great way to introduce the topic of nutrition and what makes a healthy daily diet.

For breakfast or snack, try vanilla smoothies with whole wheat gingerbread.

These are a great quick fix. If you’re selling smoothies it’s important to follow your portion guidelines so expenses remain constant.

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Don’t have much time?

If you don’t want to spend time hauling out a mixer and then cleaning up later, just use a bowl and spatula.

Take any favorite cookie recipe and instead of scooping individual cookies, press the dough into a sheet pan.

Bake until golden brown and cool before cutting.

Cut into squares and you’re done.

Even if you need to package and label, these pan cookies are a quick fix.

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More strawberry news: for a really quick bar cookie make any sugar or shortbread cookie recipe

and roll out or press the dough into pans

and spread with fruit jam

then sprinkle with a streusel.

Bake until the crust is a light golden brown.

After the bars have cooled, cut evenly. These bars were cut into squares and then cut diagonally for a special look.

Who can resist these classic fruit bars?

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Look - four brownie cakes from one recipe!

And what a quick fix, using only a hand mixer.

Last Sunday morning, MrMacho asked, “Where would you like to go for dinner?” I thought about it, but no place sounded good. “I’d rather have homemade pizza,” I answered.

“Okay then,” said MrMacho, “I’ll make a cake.” The last cake he made was quite tasty (although not quite so attractive). But I was thinking Brownies!

Use any favorite brownie or blondie recipe, or use one from my book – Chocolate Overdose Brownies (page 81) or Cappuccino Blondies (page 71). Divide the batter into three or four cake or pie pans and bake for 25-35 minutes, until firm.

This one was baked in an 8” pie pan. For a simple decoration I sprinkled sliced almonds around the perimeter before baking. "Happy Mother's Day" said MrMacho, taking a slice.

From the same batch (front row) an 8” brownie cake iced with mocha buttercream, then decorated with chocolate covered coffee beans and chopped toffee. In back, 7” brownie cakes baked in paperware pans.

Be creative - instead of baking and cutting your brownies into traditional square shapes, use round pans and sell by the slice. Or bake in smaller pans and sell with a plastic knife taped onto the wrap/lid. Brownies are always a winner and a super quick fix.

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Whoa, I sure got a lot of mail for the last post. Sorry if I wasn’t specific enough about making these quick fix croutons.

Here’s how I do it on the stovetop.

Use the largest fry pan you own and do it in batches. Even a 12” pan won’t hold much; a one pound loaf of bread can be done in three batches.

Have your bread cubes ready, then drop a couple of tablespoons of oil or butter into the pan. Heat to sizzling. Add the bread cubes to cover the bottom, then sprinkle on a few tablespoons of herbs; use salt and pepper to taste. Parmesan cheese works well, but softer cheeses will melt and make a huge mess. Keep heat on a medium high and stir and flip often.

Sometimes I make very large pieces, which MrMacho prefers. Then he can munch on them instead of cookies.

If you make bread, it’s a great way to use stales. If you make and sell bread, it’s a perfect fit for your target market – regular customers may even appreciate the extra labor involved and thank you for the value-added product.

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Craving cinnamon buns and need a quick fix?

Can’t wait three or four hours for a yeast dough?

Use a biscuit mix, either homemade or from a box, and stir ingredients in a large pot. No mixer necessary.

Add the liquid, stir, and dump it on a floured surface.

Knead lightly and form into a flat ball.

Roll out into a rectangle and pour on lots of cinnamon sugar. Pour. Lots.

Roll up and cut into pieces. This bench scraper/dough cutter can be used to cut the dough

and clean your counter, too. Nifty tool!

Place the cut rounds into a greased pan and bake immediately. No proofing!

Ice and eat.

Yes, I know, it’s not the same as those yeasted cinnamon buns. But we’re talking quick fix. Sorry. Next time plan ahead.

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For cake ideas and inspiration, think Spring!

Simple to fix Pink Velvet Cake

When I find a simple, delicious, easy to whip-up recipe, I like to use it for many different products. For this Pink Velvet Cake I used the Poppy Seed Cake recipe from my book, page 123. I deleted the poppy seeds, then instead of 1 ¼ cups buttermilk I used part buttermilk and part red nut liqueur (available at most liquor stores); adjust amounts to your preference.

For the pink buttercream I substituted a tablespoon of nut liqueur for part of the milk.

Mini marshmallows decorate the top and add a subtle fruity flavor.

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I tried a new recipe and mixed it up by hand in a large stockpot.

The soft dough was divided into two pieces.

I skipped a step (to save clean-up time) and did this right on the baking sheet: gently round the sticky loaves with a little flour and shape into balls. Once formed, flatten slightly.

Score the tops with a sharp knife.

The finished breads have a soft, tender crumb.

The traditional holiday bread for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations is an American invention enjoyed by Irish and non-Irish folks.  We start seeing these breads for sale at the beginning of March. The following recipe is not real Irish Soda bread; those loaves had no sugar, no fat, and no raisins – just flour, buttermilk, salt, and baking soda. But this recipe is fast and easy and enjoyed by our American taste for sweet and tender. If you need to make this in quantity, consider preparing dry mixes first.

Irish Soda Bread
Yield: one large or two small loaves
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you like a sweeter bread)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk (or use 7/8 cup milk with 2 tablespoons vinegar)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 -1 cup raisins, optional
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, optional

Optional, for the top:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or silicone sheet.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter. Add caraway seeds and/or raisins if using.

3. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk (store-bought or homemade) and egg. Mix until it forms a soft dough.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into one large or two small loaves. Place on prepared baking sheet and with a sharp knife cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf.

5. For an exceptionally tender crust: In a small bowl, combine melted butter with the remaining milk and brush onto bread(s).

6. Bake in preheated oven until a light golden brown, 30 to 50 minutes, depending upon size. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

As I cut through the loaves, I thought about using this recipe for scones. Hmmmmmm. More on this later.

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Yum!

Hamantaschen are a traditional cookie to celebrate Purim but these pocket cookies are now sold year-round. Also traditional are prune or poppy fillings, but these days anything goes.

Make a filling; prunes are traditional but I had lots of apples so this is a thick prune applesauce.

Use fruit juice for the liquid. Let it chill before making the pockets.

For the dough, use any of your sugar cookie recipes, preferably one with less sugar since the filling is so sweet. (Although I do know people who have great success using a purchased refrigerated sugar cookie dough for a quick fix.)

Roll out the dough

and drop a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center.

Form the pocket shapes by pinching the dough together in three places equi-distant (is that a word?) around the perimeter. Bottom row has one side done; middle row two sides; top row is finished. Pinch hard or they will open while baking.

Bake until the edges are a golden brown.

I tried something new this year. I melted extra white chocolate (see previous post) and dropped some on top of the pockets. The cookies on the right have white chocolate only on the bottom.

Delicious! The white chocolate adds a wonderful flavor. Unfortunately, for anyone baking and selling, it adds an additional cost. Is it worth it?

PS - I was going to write about Hamantaschen and the history of Purim but I found this great blog post by Marilyn from Simmer Till Done. She’s quite charming.

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